Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to see you in the chair. Congratulations.
I am pleased to rise in the 40th Parliament of Canada on behalf of the citizens of the riding of Winnipeg South Centre, a vibrant and diverse riding in the heart of the continent, in order to respond to the Speech from the Throne.
Before doing so, I want to thank the people of my community for their endorsement of me for the fourth time in eight years and to say to them that it is with much gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility that I take my seat here once again. I want to extend a special thanks to the many volunteers who helped me keep my job and to fly the Liberal flag in Manitoba.
It is with a deep sense of responsibility that I am acutely aware that the actions taken by the Conservative government and the response, oversight and decisions by those assembled here will determine how many individuals will live their lives and will determine the opportunities they have or not.
As many people are aware, the Liberal Party has always stood for helping people in communities. As one senior citizen on Grant Avenue in Winnipeg said to me, “The Liberal Party has always been there for us and I will be there for the Liberals”. Creating opportunities through generating prosperity and sound fiscal and economic management are the underpinnings of the Liberal Party.
Against the backdrop of a collapsing world economy, it is incumbent upon the Conservative government to take firm action on the economy, present a plan, outline a vision for the future that will protect jobs, safeguard pensions, and support economic stability, and to do so in a forthright and consistent manner with a balanced message that addresses the realities of the day, not one designed for political gain.
Prior to October 14, the Prime Minister assured Canadians that he would never run a deficit. It was clear he had information at that time that indicated he would not be able to keep that promise without large funding cuts because of a weakened economy, a weakened economy in Canada made worse by the mismanagement of the Conservative government's finances.
When the Conservatives took office, they stripped the government of financial safety measures and went on an aimless spending spree. They spent irresponsibly and left Canada's economy vulnerable to the economic global downturn. In fact, to use an analogy, they were like a teenager who just got a hot rod, blew his or her money on a fancy paint job and a stereo, but took out the seat belts and the air bags.
Having inherited from the Liberals the strongest economy in all the G-8 countries, a $13 billion surplus and a $3 billion contingency reserve for emergencies, unprecedented job creation and no deficit, we are now on the brink of a recession, and the Conservative government's mismanagement is in part to blame.
As confirmed by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the government has squandered Canada's fiscal stability and we have now acknowledged the “R” word, a recession. We are told it is only a technical recession. There is nothing technical about this recession. There is nothing technical about people who have lost or are about to lose their jobs. There is nothing technical for the thousands of Canadians who have already lost their jobs under the Conservative government. They are not technically unemployed, just as they are not technically suffering, or technically worrying about their children's education, or technically concerned about their pensions.
The Conservative government needs to get back to reality by being straight with Canadians and not play word games and insult their intelligence.
The throne speech and subsequent remarks by Conservatives in the House reference a prudent course, “essential programs and no more” and to “review all spending carefully and make sure it is aligned with Canadian priorities”. Who will determine Canadian priorities?
Canadians should be concerned about the Conservative promise to put federal spending under the microscope. They might use the microscope to look at the expenses, but programs cannot be hacked and slashed with a machete rather than a scalpel. Canadians need to be vigilant that Conservative cuts are not based on ideology, but truly on value for taxpayers.
In the last Parliament we saw unprecedented cuts to programs related to climate change, the court challenges program, literacy, the Kelowna accord, national child care, arts funding, and so on.
In my city of Winnipeg the Canadian Wheat Board has been under attack from undemocratic processes such as altering voter lists, using numbered ballots, stacking the Wheat Board with anti-single desk appointees, and opening up spending to third parties. In times of economic uncertainty, the government is willing to put at risk 480 direct jobs of the Canadian Wheat Board in Winnipeg and over 1,800 full time job equivalents sustained in Winnipeg by the Canadian Wheat Board expenditures. Many thousands more in Canada who also support Wheat Board activity are also at peril.
The port of Churchill will be endangered. The Canadian Wheat Board is responsible for over 90% of the traffic. The northern rail line in all likelihood will be shut down. Head offices in Manitoba are at risk of disappearing.
People in my community expect much more of their government. Manitoba is a relatively small community. There is a community of interests. The community is speaking with one voice in its efforts to establish an inland port, a transportation hub which is a priority of government and business. There is an expectation the Government of Canada will come forward as a full partner in this endeavour. Winnipeg has many natural advantages for this.
The government also speaks to advances in science and technology, but let the Manitoba Innovation Council be the model.
Funds have been committed and allocated by the government for the cleanup of Lake Winnipeg, but the dollars are slow to flow, and at best, it is a trickle. For two summers water samples have been collected and they sit in a cooler somewhere with no funds available to analyze them. When a commitment is made, the expectation is that it will be honoured.
The residents of Winnipeg South Centre have many other priorities, such as health care and access to health care professionals, as well as access to post-secondary education without incurring debt burdens that cripple young people's ability to go on in school.
The Speech from the Throne speaks about helping all Canadians participate. It also speaks to securing jobs for families and encouraging skilled apprenticeships. Many Canadians want to work. They want to retain jobs. They want to upgrade their skills. However, they cannot do this without the full knowledge that their children are safe and secure. For many the lack of national early learning and child care makes it impossible for them to go to school or get a job.
The residents of Winnipeg South Centre have great concern for those who are vulnerable, particularly children and the poor, and fear that they will be forgotten in the economic crisis in which we are living.
I note particularly the senior citizen who expressed concern that she and her husband feared who would die first, because the other would not be able to pay the rent on their existing apartment and where would that person go.
On the justice agenda, safe communities are a common objective of all. However, I note with interest that while speaking to the issue of controlling crime, there is no mention in the throne speech of other initiatives of great importance in Manitoba, such as controlling auto theft, nor is there anything to address the social determinants of criminal activity.
I wanted to speak about securities funding but, Madam Speaker, I note your indication that I have to wrap up.
I want to make a quick note about democratic reform and reforming the institutions of Parliament. There are small steps and gestures of good faith that the government could address before undertaking a major constitutional reform. These include participation by all candidates in debates in an election, non-conversion of the tools of the House for partisan purposes, and not taking members' words out of context in order to serve another's own purpose.
The residents of my community want straight talk from their leaders. They do not want to hear partial information. They do not want to hear spin for political purposes. The task at hand is great and they want cooperation, fair-mindedness and openness as we move forward.
